Ink Jet printing is a common method of non-impact printing. An ink jet printer emits intermittent streams of ink droplets from tiny nozzles in response to received electrical signals. The inventive device is applicable to all types of ink jet printers.
When used in industrial applications, conventional ink jet printers suffer from a variety of drawbacks and disadvantages. For example, when an ink jet print mechanism becomes damaged the printing process must be stopped until the print system can be restored to proper operational status. For ink jet print systems containing custom ink jet print mechanism an operator must stop an assembly line and physically disconnect the ink jet printer from its ink supply and mounting so that it can be removed for maintenance. This is a time consuming and often expensive process, both in terms of lost production stemming from a shut down line and the maintenance costs associated with servicing the ink jet print system.
Additionally, ink contamination of print media is a common a problem resulting from a damaged ink jet print mechanism or low ink condition. In the case of damaged ink jet print mechanism, improperly designed systems allow ink to leak from the print mechanism directly onto a print skid plate—the surface the print medium rests flush against during the printing process. This causes ink contamination: smearing and smudging on the print medium. Moreover, most ink jet printers must “pull” their ink from a regulator, such that the ink pressure in the ink jet print mechanism and corresponding feed line is less than atmospheric pressure (it is in a vacuum). This prevents ink from flowing freely out of the ink jet print mechanism. In print systems wherein the ink reservoir does not have a method of warning the operator of a low ink condition, the supply ink pressure may go below the pressure required by the pressure regulator to keep negative pressure in the ink jet print mechanism feed line. In the event that this happens, the remaining ink flows freely out of the ink jet print mechanism wherein it can contaminate the print medium, leak back into the print system, or in some cases both.
Industrial ink jet print applications require specialized high-volume ink delivery systems. To overcome the shortcomings of existing ink jet industrial print systems, a customized housing, ink delivery and regulation systems are provided. The first object of the present invention is to prevent failure of the inventive device through internal contamination by foreign bodies. A related object of the invention is to prevent electrical failure caused by ink contamination on the inside of inventive device. It is also an object of the invention to provide tool free access and maintenance for the purpose of quick replacement of key components, specifically those relating to ink delivery and ink jet printing. For that purpose, a related object is to use readily available modular components wherein the ink jet mechanism may be removed and replaced by an operator of average skill, independently of the other components and without tools. Another object of the invention is to provide a low ink warning mechanism for the purpose of preventing a low ink condition which may result in ink freely flowing out of the ink jet print mechanism. Related to this object, yet another object of the invention to prevent contamination of the print medium in the event of a low ink condition. An additional object of the invention is to provide a valve system in which an external ink supply can quickly be connected or disconnected without the use of specialized tools. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a drain path for ink such that ink leakage resulting from a damaged print mechanism, ink regulation system or a low ink condition will not cause ink contamination of the print medium.